Wisconsin Death Trip

by

Static-X

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Somehow, someway, this never comes across as sloppy like most heavy bands, it's smooth but without losing that crunch. Whatever you wanna call it, industrial, evil disco or heavy-trance-core, it is amazing. This band is like a dentist's wet dream, it'll shake those teeth right out of your mouth in the first few songs. White Zombie, just heavier might be the closest way to describe them for those that aren't in the know. Wayne Static's lyrics are difficult to understand, thankfully they give you the lyrics in the CD jacket, his voice sounds like a drill sergeant on a bad acid trip, very nice. He even played with Billy Corgan in a goth band during the 80's! I'm dying to hear something from those two, especially goth music, their band was called Deep Blue Dream or something like that. Anyways, Static-X move along together like they are one unit that functions as a music machine, even the guitars stop, pick up, then roll along with everything else. The two singles "Push It" and "I'm With Stupid" are great songs. Listen to the lyrics through the CD, pretty funny stuff. My favorite song on here is "I Am". The opening guitar riff is amazing, it's very catchy but not in a pop tune sort of way. When I first listened to the chorus I thought I heard it somewhere else before. I listened to Tool's "Prison Sex" and thought they were the same, guess I was wrong. The song is really great and well produced, which is another thing, this is one slick produced album. Nothing sounds out of place here, it all works nicely. The first five songs are easily the best but thankfully they didn't put in filler for the rest. "Sweat Of The Bud" and the title track are great as well. The last track is a song a lot of fans don't seem to like, "December". I think it's brilliant, it's easy going and beautiful, I love it. Things don't have to be crunch, crunch all the time, but if that's your thing I can undestand why you don't like it. In the end though, this is a great album by a band that has a bright future. I have to say this, I love Wayne's hair.

When I first heard the blitzing "evil disco" sounds of Static X it sounded rather fresh. It was a more pure version of the machine-gun mania from south Cal that had been a missing gap in the genre left by the Ministry (to be on a future "Where are They Now" show?).

Then I peeked back into the archives of the new formation of the metal sound busting speakers all over the country and found some similarities so striking that I suddenly felt as if I was listening to a Will Smith CD with original lyrics and the obscure sounds of the past as the shoddy support structure girding his money-making machine. The good news is that Static X's "pseudo-sampling" (they play their own instruments) is a more well constructed support.

If you have found their single "Push It" to be all the blaring industrial-core you want, I urge you to go back to Helmet's 1991 release "Strap it On" and listen to the song "Bad Mood." It's the same song without sampling. Or peruse the vaults of Prong with their song "Lost and Found" and you will hear the future cry of "Bled for Days" prognosticated from the walled streets of a Manhattan drenched in Bush-era recession (once again without the electronic aid of sampling.) And, oh yes, did I mention Ministry? Take your pick along these same lines (sampling included here, of course.)

The point here is that I am unsure where Static X begins and where their influences end - a disappointment to say the least. If it is just in the creative use of sampling, I am unimpressed and no longer interested. So my suggestion is to go and pick up at least the two records mentioned above along with "Wisconsin Death Trip." It will give you more ammo to your arsenal and a good lesson in postmodern bricolage.